The Power of Asana

In the Trisikhibrahmana upanishad it is said that :
Asanam vijitam yena Jitam tena jagatrayam (verse 52)
One who has mastered asana has conquered the three worlds earth, space and heaven.
AUM

Be a scientist unto oneself!

When the Buddha was passing away, his closest disciple is said to have asked the Master for his last message. To which the Buddha replied "Be a light unto yourself". On reading the beautiful sutras of Rishi Patanjali, the message (not the last one but an eternal one) that reverberates loud and clear is to "be a scientist unto ONESELF". AUM

Get the hint!

The beauty of the Patanjali Yogasutras is that though he speaks of asanas, he does NOT explain even one. Though he speaks of Pranayama, he does NOT explain even one. Yet this book is the foundation for all of the manifested bounty of Yoga we see globally. The root for ALL "practices" lies in the twin teachings of
1. Tada Drishtuh Swaroope Avasthanam - Reside in the form of an observer/witness
2. Tatra Stithau Yatnobhyasah - Doing that which takes you to the above "STATE" (of residing in the form of the observer/witness) is the "PRACTICE"!
The great Yogis of lore like Yagyavalkya (wrote the Yoga Yagyavalkya) and the ones from the middle ages like Rishi Gheranda (who wrote the Gheranda Samhita) and Rishi Swatmarama (who wrote Hatha Yoga Pradipika) and a whole galaxy of lesser known but equally if not more amazing Yogis like Matsyendranatha, Gorakhnatha, contributed to Yogic PRACTICES that contain details on the Asanas, Pranayamas, Bandhas and Kriyas that form the manifest Yoga we witness today. The modern saints of Yoga like Sri Kuvalayananda, Swami Sivananada and Sri Krishnamacharya and his wonderful disciples like BKS Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois have brought in their own light and understanding to this Agnostic body of knowledge. ALL these works and writings are elucidations of the understandings of these great Yogis on what brought them to "THE STATE" . AUM 🙏

Yogic Sadhana the great detoxifier

Yogic Sadhana the great detoxifier and internal cleanser. Aantarika Shuddhi and Shaucha

When Patanjali speaks of Shaucha or cleanliness in the Niyamas, we usually think of brushing our teeth and having a bath on a daily basis. The Asanas and Pranayamas ensure that there is cleansing at the cellular level as well. The lymphatic system is the sewerage system of the body and unlike the circulatory system has no pump and needs specific body movements to make it more efficient than it would normally be. It carries the waste from the cells and also the bodies of cells that die everyday in their millions!
A good Asana practice with Vinyasa like Surya Namaskars or Sun Salutations brings along with it not only aerobic benefits that ensure that nutrition and oxygen reach each and every cell, but also the circulation of the lymphatic fluids.
The "squeezing" action in the movements of many of the Asanas, coupled with the massaging effect of the diaphragm (when one breathes deep and uses the diaphragm to push deep down), results in the cellular waste getting pushed into the lymphatic system as well as dead cells getting eliminated in the process.
The end result is a fantastic detox of the entire body across ALL the various physiological systems we learn of, like the digestive,circulatory, nervous, endocrine, organs et all.
All this results not only in a super clean and healthy body but also a system in which the free and unimpeded flow of prana is established.
The way the human mind behaves at various levels of pranic flow and intensity is a very interesting subject of study! AUM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_system

Yoga is for the mind!

Yogena Chittasya - Through Yoga you helped the mind
Padena Vacham - Through Grammar you helped the words
Malam Sharirasya Cha Vaidyakena - Through your work in Ayurveda you helped the body get rid of illness
Yopa Karottam Pravaram Muninam - To that most excellent of sages who gave us all this
Patanjalim Pranjaliranatosmi - Patanjali, I salute thee

For all those who look at Yoga as something that effects the body - No. Yoga works on mental well-being and mental health. If our mind is in great shape, so will be our physical health. Kabir said a long time ago, Man Changa to Tan Changa!
For those who look at Patanjali as just a Yoga Guru - He worked on Yoga, Sanskrit Grammar and Ayurveda. Amazing isn't it?

So much to know about the great ones of Yore. Just like a Mira still lives on in her Bhajans or a great artist who has passed away still lives on in her/his works, may the great sage Patanjali continue to live on through "our study, understanding and PRACTICE" of his works

Observe the Comfort Zone

Stretching in Yoga....
In the stretch lies the expansion of the "Comfort Zone". The secret in going deeper in the practice is to keenly observe the point where your "Comfort Zone" ends. The "Discomfort" is not just with the physical limitations but more so with the impatience and frustrations of the mind. Once you reach the boundaries of your "Comfort Zone", take a baby step outside this "Comfort Zone" with "Awareness". This patience with the process, ensures that we expand what we define as the boundaries of our "Comfort Zone", till a point where we are simply "Comfortable" in any situation. This observation of the limits of our "Comfort Zone" should be part and parcel of the Yogic Sadhana. This ensures that we prevent injuries as well as develop immense patience with the process of Yoga...the race with no finish line 🙃
Panthi Hoon MainUss Path Ka...Anth Nahin Jis Ka 🌟
AUM AUM AUM 🙏🙏🙏😊